Surlingham Church Marsh Wader Scrape!

The reserve seemed a little quiet on entrance at around 4.30pm yesterday; the usual Tits were calling but no Bullfinch from the usual spot or Siskin.

Viewing the marsh across to Wood's End got the pulse quickening: 4 small waders were on the muddy puddle! At first glance I was convinced there were 2 Green Sandpiper and 2 Redshank, since 2 birds were bobbing up and down, and 2 just weren't. However, the birds soon took flight and began calling, heading in the direction of the main lagoon.

On approaching the lagoon, I could hear Lapwing displaying and there were now 4 birds here. The water levels do change frequently, so I would be a little concerned if they did nest here, but at the same time hopeful! the 4 waders were here, and they were indeed Green Sandpiper. A site record! Gadwall, Teal and Mallard dabbled here and there along with the usual 2 pairs of Coot and a pair of Moorhen. The first of the days mammal sightings was a Chinese Water Deer, a large individual and probably a male. The waders fed for a while as the light faded, eventually flying off high towards Wheat Fen.

A Long overdue year tick then arrived in the form of 4 Snipe, grunting as they flew over head. A Meadow Pipit was seen in the old roost spot and a Pied Wagtail was heard. Continuing round, the sun now setting, another Water Deer was seen feeding, this time most likely a female. 13 Fieldfare were on the hill, and I wondered if these would be the last I would see until the Autumn. A fitting finale was a Barn Owl hunting over the reedbed.

Driving home, 2 Bats were out and about hunting a hedgerow near Bramerton. The marshes at Rockland and Claxton were quiet save for a gathering of Mute Swans.

Barn Owl at dusk

Yet to be Identified!

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Everything is about edge

Hardley, where it is often confusing to define where the garden ends and the marsh begins. Tumble-down houses and rickety shacks, away from any bus route and Team Sky sorts wrapped in lycra, this is a village that by choice is cut off. The secret is out, and pre-storm Ciara as many as 10 large lenses littered the river bank firing at will. Their target- Winter ghosts. First, the classic Scooby-Doo type, as a Barn Owl responds to an ill-advised squeak in the grass and heads towards the onlookers. Another quickly joins the hunt, their formation a picture of double-edged stealth. But these year-round residents are not the key objective today, that honour is given to the Short-eared Owl. 3/4 of these can be seen from the staithe at the minute, floating like giant moths over the tussocks and edges. In a recent article in The New Yorker, Jake Fiennes states "Everything is about edge". Hedges, ditches, scrub, forgotten tracts of land that link nothing and no-one. Fiennes, now ...

Finally, just in time for the tail end of Spring migration........

.......we get some good weather. Too little too late? Only time will tell. I have enjoyed watching the resident birds go about their business on the local marshes and broads, but that ranks as the poorest Spring I can recall in terms of migrants and variety. That is not to say the birding is not good- but just a little underwhelming. Over at Rockland Broad on Saturday, I enjoyed a bit of a raptor fest, with 3 Hoby, 2 Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier and Kestrel all seen well. 2 Garden Warbler were singing, one by the carpark and one by the broad. A couple of Common Tern were hawking over the broad, and a Kingfisher was up to the usual near the hide. Don't get me wrong, this is all great (and in the warm too) but I was hoping for something a little different at Rockland this Spring. Still, with the decent weather set to continue for the next week, eyes to the skies. And indeed, to the ground, for my first Wall Browns of the year were flying and I happened upon my first 4-spotted ...

Grey Phalarope- a new patch bird

The 7th of April was another bitterly cold Spring day, hats and gloves in prime position on pegs and in bags ready to be deployed. A few brave Garganey have been reported north of the river, but it was a bird from the north itself that had me rushing for the thermals and the telescope late in the day. I was thankful for the local Whatsapp group who were quick to report that a Grey Phalarope had been seen on Rockland Broad. This tiny Wader would have come in on the northerlies over the last few days, although to grace one of the broads is a real surprise, since most stick pretty close to the coast before moving on. Indeed, my experience of the birds has usually been on a sea watch in the Autumn, waves crashing and foam flying, my eyes straining to pick them out as they fly low just above the surf. They are fantastic birds, and now one was here on the patch. I had a brief panic when I realised my scope was in my car at the garage (thankfully I do have a much older spare) but once th...

Notes from the valley

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